


Sticky Notes

by PurpleBraces



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Books, Fluff, Libraries, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2018-10-18 02:18:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10607262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleBraces/pseuds/PurpleBraces
Summary: Zexion Sakkaku loved to read. It wasn’t a secret, everyone knew it. Another thing he loved to do was use sticky notes. Whether it was a scene or quote he loved, something he wanted to remember, or something that he didn’t quite understand, he had color coded sticky notes that he was not shy about using.Zexion also liked to frequent the library, as he was a broke high school student with a barely minimum wage salary, even though he came from a family of wealthy scientists. He also had a nasty habit of forgetting to remove the sticky notes before he returned the book, but no one ever brought it to his attention, so he never knew to stop. Until Demyx Mizu began to volunteer at the library. With new friendships and a stalker student, Zexion is going to need all the help he can get to make it through the school year.





	1. Volunteering

“I can’t believe I got in trouble for your stupid stunt!” Demyx groaned in annoyance to his friend Axel, giving him a dirty look.

Axel Kasai, his best friend and well-known ass, smirked at his friend’s misery. “Come on Demyx, it’s only a month of involuntary library volunteering! It could’ve been a lot worse.” He commented, which was true since Axel had set the chemistry lab on fire. Again.

“You should be expelled.” Demyx grumbled.

“You would miss me if I were gone, and you know it!” The two arrived at the library, and that was Axel’s cue to leave. He was only allowed into the library at certain hours and only for a short period of time, ever since a little incident last semester involving matches, Trigonometry, and a pack of Oreo’s.

“That’s debatable. Will you and Roxas at least be here so we can head to my house when I’m done?”

Axel nodded. “Sure, Demyx. See ya ‘round.” He gave a mock two-fingered salute, before heading back to school to pick up Roxas from tutoring.

Demyx watched him go, then turned grim eyes up to the gray building in front of him. He really didn’t want to be here, but he had no choice. As much of a jokester he was, he did try to take school pretty seriously. He didn’t get a worse punishment for not completing the first one. At least he only had to do this after school; the school library was a whole single building down the street from the main school building. Advantages of getting a scholarship to a fancy shmancy boarding school.

“Well, let’s get this over with,” He thought, pushing open the heavy door.

Contrary to what he was expecting, the library wasn’t some dark, scary place with old librarians that looked like Gollum; it was actually pretty nice in there. The quiet was calming and the building was warm, unlike the tundra they usually experienced in the classrooms. The air, instead of smelling like mothballs like he’d assumed, actually smelled like vanilla and lavender. It was...pleasant. As Demyx was taking in the scenery, a large shadow fell over him. He looked up and met the strong, intimidating gaze of Lexaeus Iwa, a senior who was known for his stoic kindness. A gentle giant type, though it didn’t make him less intimidating.

“You’re the volunteer, right?” Lexaeus asked, his voice untelling of any emotion he may be feeling.

Demyx swallowed, nodding his head. “T-That’s me...just tell me what you need me to do.” He said weakly.

Lexaeus nodded curtly, leading Demyx to the front desk. “You can stand here and help people check out books and such. If a person asks for a book, just look it up in the computer catalog. If they need anything else, just ask me.”

Demyx nodded, a bit dazed that the giant man had said this much in such a short time. Lexaeus left him to his own devices, and Demyx went behind the desk, sitting in the single chair. This should be easy; at least, he hoped so.

It was quiet for the first hour or so, and Demyx had nearly fallen asleep. He was just drifting off when there was a large thump on the desk in front of him, making him jolt and almost slip from his chair.

“W-Whoa!” He exclaimed, flailing his arms to attempt to keep his balance.

Someone shushed him, and he looked up, ready to be irritated with the scare. Instead, he found himself at a loss for words.

“May I check these out?” A short kid with slate blue hair hanging in front of one eye. Thi was Zexion, and everyone knew who he was simply because of how smart he was. He was at the top of almost all of his classes, and he was pretty open to helping out people who may not understand the information.

“Ahem?” Demyx snapped out of his thoughts when Zexion cleared his throat.

“O-oh, sorry! Sure.” He replied quickly, scanning the 7 books that had been set in front of him. How did Zexion plan on carrying them all?

“So...what class are these for?” Demyx asked curiously.

“They’re not for a class; I’m just checking them out for some light reading material to read over spring break.”

Demyx paused with an over 500-page tome in his hand. “Light reading? I’d hate to see what heavy reading is for you.” He muttered.

Zexion chuckled, giving a small shrug. “What can I say? I love books.” He said unapologetically.

Demyx shrugged back. “Everyone has their thing.”

Zexion gathered his books, straining only slightly to hold them. Demyx was tempted to offer help, but he didn't want to come off as weird.

“Bye, Zexion.” Demyx waved.

“Have a good day, Demyx.”

Long after Zexion was gone, Demyx found himself still thinking about him. He had always been intrigued by the quiet bookworm, but he had never had an excuse to approach him before now. Maybe this whole volunteer detention thing wouldn't be so bad, if it meant he might finally be able to get close and see that Zexion was all about.


	2. Thinking and Acting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zexion reflects on his meeting with Demyx, and gets the idea to widen his horizons.

"Well, he seemed nice." Zexion mused to himself as he headed home, lugging his stack of books. Man, they were heavy. It would have been nice if Lexaeus had been able to help, but Zexion didn't want to pull his friend from his job just to carry some books.

Demyx seemed to be a pretty okay guy; he didn't make a mess of things, he didn't tease or mock him for being brainy, and he seemed kind of funny. Zexion felt bad for startling him, but it was amusing to watch him flail for a few seconds. When he got to his porch, he set the books down for a break before tackling the stairs, pulling out his phone and sending a message to Lexaeus.

"He seemed okay. He wasn't mean or rude, and he checked out my books just fine." He sent. Lexaeus had asked him to stop by and check out his books from the volunteer boy that he'd be working with, to make sure he was good with interacting with people and that he wouldn't be a trouble maker. He'd agreed, mainly because he had been planning on going to the library anyway and also because Lexaeus was his best and oldest friend, since they were children.

"Good. Thank you for doing this for me." He smiled at the reply. Lexaeus was a good friend, and though they had dated once upon a time last semester, they were much happier just remaining close like brothers. The relationship hadn't lasted longer than 3 months, and they were both better people because of it.

He lugged his books upstairs, looking for some room to put these books on. Bookshelves lined his rather large room, but they were all filling up. He decided to set them on his desk since he didn't really need to put them on his shelf, as they weren't his anyway. His desk creaked under the weight of the literature, and he froze, watching it warily until it settled.

"Phew." He sighed, biting his lip. He needed a new desk, but he kept putting off asking for one. His guardians, while loving, were always busy, and he didn't want to bother him with insignificant things like a desk. It also didn't help that some of them taught at his school, so by the time he got home he was burnt out and didn't feel like dealing with them anyway.

Usually, he'd be pouring through his newly acquired books, studying, or simply relaxing by listening to some music, but none of those things appealed to him, as his mind was in turmoil. Demyx had caught his attention; not just the boy himself, but the aura he gave off. So happy and open...it reminded Zexion how lonely it was sometimes. It wasn't like he didn't want friends, he just didn't know a lot of people who could deal with his sarcastic ways, and most ended up growing annoyed or bored with him. It stung, he would admit, so he tended to avoid interactions altogether.

Some might call it cowardly. He called it sensible.

That didn't take away the lonely part, though. He pulled out his phone, about to ask Lexaeus if he wanted to hang out, but he remembered that his friend had a family event to attend. He flicked through his few contacts, his eyes landing on Roxas' number. They had exchanged numbers last semester when he was tutoring the younger one, and sometimes they got together for coffee and studying. That didn't mean they were friends, though...

Before he could doubt himself, he pressed the call button. He almost didn't believe he did it until Roxas actually picked up.

"This is Roxas."

"A-Ah, hello." Zexion stammered.

"Oh, Zexion!"

Recognition entered the voice on the other line, and Zexion let out a silent breath of relief. He felt a little better that Roxas remembered him. Even though they had just studied together a month ago, Zexion didn't think that was the most memorable event in the teen's life.

"What's up?" Here, Zexion froze. How did you ask someone to hang out?!

"Um...I-I..." God, he sounded like an idiot. For someone who had the highest grade in the school, he sure could be a spaz at times.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Worry slipped into Roxas' voice.

"N-No, no. Nothing is wrong, I just...I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out." He cringed slightly at his lame attempt at sounding like a normal teenager.

"Oh, yeah sure! Axel and I are about to go to a movie with our friend; we can stop by your house to pick you up on the way!"

Zexion was frozen in silence. It was...that easy? Just...a question and an answer? It was like a simple math equation.

"O-Oh, okay...Sure."

"Cool! We'll be there in about 10 minutes." He hung up.

Zexion flopped on his back on his bed, eyes wide and unbelieving. He was going to a movie. With friends, sort of.

Cool.


	3. Act Casual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zexion doesn't know how to act, Axel thinks it's hilarious, and Demyx wishes Roxas would stop sending him and Zexion weird looks.

Zexion decided to bring a book; it was more of a comfort tool than anything, and he could read during the movie previews in case no one wanted to talk to him. After about 7 minutes of thought, he decided to take Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz. He had been recommended it by the librarian at school, and even though it wasn't what he would usually read, it quickly became his favorite. Various colored sticky notes stuck out from the sides and the top, and he was so glad he'd bought it so he didn't ever have to return it.

"Okay, that leaves me...3 minutes until they should get here." It was getting cooler as it was the middle of September, so he grabbed a cardigan to keep himself warm. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, biting his lip at his dark jeans and light blue button up. He didn't look like a normal teenager, that was sure.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as a car honked outside his door. Holy shit they were here. He cleared his throat and straightened his shirt, before heading downstairs and out the door. He saw Roxas waving at him from the passenger seat, and he gave a small wave back as he approached the red Jeep. He opened the back door and got inside, jolting as he noticed a familiar blonde head next to him.

Demyx stared at him in surprise, before smiling. "Hey, long time no see!"

His easygoing demeanor eased something in Zexion, and he found himself smirking back. "Hello again, Demyx."

Roxas looked back at them. "I didn't know you two knew each other." He commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, that's Demyx. He makes it his mission to be friends with everyone." Axel snorted. "Even if it gets him in trouble most of the time."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "Trouble?" Axel smirked devilishly, deciding this was a great time to enlighten Zexion to some of Demyx's less than charming moments.

"Well, about a month ago, Demyx, Roxas and I all went to the mall..." He began, snickering at the look of horror that dawned on Demyx's face. 

"Shut up!" Demyx exclaimed, a dark blush blooming on his cheeks.

"Demyx, don't be rude. I'm trying to tell our dear friend a story." Axel scolded playfully.

Zexion felt a bit uncomfortable, not sure if Demyx actually wanted to keep whatever happened under wraps.

"U-Um...y-you don't have to tell me..." He murmured, blushing. He sounded so dumb...Why couldn't he control his stuttering?!

Axel chuckled. "You don't get out much, do you?"

Zexion shrunk in his seat. "...Not really."

Axel softened, seeing that he was making Zexion uncomfortable. "Well, that's fine! You have us to hang out with now."

Zexion smiled a bit. "Okay. Cool."

"So what's with the porcupine?" Axel asked, making Zexion tilt his head.

"...What?" He asked, not sure how to respond to such a seemingly random question.

Roxas rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. "Axel's talking about your book. The sticky notes apparently reminded him of quills."

"Oh, I don't know...it was mostly habit. I usually read during the previews when I go to the movies."

"Ugh, Roxas does that sometimes. How am I supposed to make out with him during the previews when his nose is buried in a book, I don't know. I've tried to explain this to him, but it just can't get through that thick skull-ow!" He rubbed his arm from where Roxas had punched him.

"Stop being so dramatic." Roxas scoffed. "Zexion, why all the post-it notes in the book?"

"I like to remember my favorite quotes and passages. It makes it easier to come back to in need of a pick me up or just some sense of familiarity. It's like...coming home when I open up to a marked page and remember how much I love coming back to it."

He looked over and noticed that Demyx was staring at him with wide eyes. "What?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Nothing, just..you're really interesting, you know?" He commented, shrugging.

Zexion chuckled a bit. "Not really, but I appreciate the sentiment."

Roxas spoke up. "No flirting in the backseat."

Demyx sputtered, shaking his head. "I'm not flirting, shut up!" He said, flicking Roxas in the back of the head.

Zexion laughed, shaking his head as well. "You three have an amazing friendship...I'm envious, to be honest."

Roxas smiled back at him. "Well, you don't have to be envious anymore. I think you'll fit in just fine with us."

"But I'm nothing like you." Zexion pointed out.

"So? That's what makes things interesting, got it memorized?" Axel smirked at him in the rearview mirror.

Zexion snorted, nodding his head. "Okay, sure." He chuckled.

When they got to the theater, Zexion stuck in the middle of the group, since he was the second shortest person and definitely the most awkward one. He didn't mind being around people, but that didn't mean he knew how to talk to them. Not many kids his age were interested in quantum physics, after all.

"Ever been to a movie theater before?" Demyx asked.

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "Yes...? I'm socially awkward, not socially inept." He took a little too much satisfaction in watching Demyx flounder for a few moments. He ignored the fact that he had already mentioned that he'd been to the movies, figuring that Demyx had just forgotten

Roxas shook his head in fond exasperation. "Everyone thinks you're so shy and quiet. In reality, you're just full of sass and scathing comebacks."

Zexion shrugged. "What can I say? I'm layered."

Axel groaned teasingly. "What have I allowed in my group?"

"You can always make a run for it while I pretend not to notice. It's not too late to escape." He replied sarcastically.

Their laughter gave him a warm, happy feeling of belonging. Maybe this outing wouldn't be so awkward, after all.


	4. A Pining Fool

"So, do you want any popcorn?" Demyx asked as they all stood in the concession line. "Or candy or something?"

Zexion looked up at the menu, scanning it to see if anything appealed to him. He scanned the nutritional value as well, though it was sub-par, as he expected. He bit his lip, deciding not to get anything. It's not like he had money to get it anyway. He had enough for the ticket, that was it. He tried to save his money, as he wanted to get an apartment as soon as he graduated.

"No thanks, I'm okay." Demyx raised an eyebrow incredulously. "You can't just sit through a movie without anything! It's a sin!"

"Something tells me that God had other things on his mind than someone's consumption choices during a movie." Zexion replied, smirking as Demyx pouted at him.

"I'll buy you some popcorn, how about that?" Demyx asked. Looking up at him, Zexion knew that Demyx wouldn't take no for an answer.

"If you really want to." He finally conceded, rolling his eyes a little. Demyx smiled, ruffling his hair and ignoring the annoyed grunt in reply. Zexion took a few moments to fix his hair as Demyx stepped ahead of him in line. How did one person have so much energy? Zexion didn't understand it, but he found he quite enjoyed being around Demyx. His enthusiasm was infectious, it seemed.

"He really likes you, you know." Zexion jumped a bit, looking up at Axel, who had suddenly appeared right beside him.

"Pardon?" Axel smirked. "Demyx. He likes you."

"Demyx seems like the kind of person to like everyone, though." Zexion pointed out, not understanding why Axel laughed in reply.

"Have you ever dated anyone before?" Zexion turned red at the seemingly out of nowhere question.

"Yes, once before." Zexion answered truthfully. "My best friend Lexaeus and I dated for a while, but we decided we liked being friends more."

"You and the gentle giant, huh? Wouldn't have guessed." Axel smirked down at him, and Zexion didn't know if it was meant to be friendly or predatory.

"If you're done harassing my friend, you need to pay for my popcorn, Axel." Roxas cut in pointedly, trying not to grin and encourage his boyfriend.

Axel sighed dramatically, giving Zexion a desolate look. "See how Roxas just wants me for my money? And here I thought he loved me-ow!" He rubbed his side, where Roxas' elbow had just been. "I can't take much more of this abuse, Roxas. You're going to bruise my delicate skin!"

Roxas groaned in mock annoyance. "Can't you save your theatrics for drama class? I'm sure your...talent would be much more appreciated there."

"No can do, Roxas. My talents are too great to be held back from gracing the world with their presence." Axel flipped his hair dramatically, making Roxas snort, before going up to pay for the popcorn, finally.

They got to the theater pretty early, so they had a good half an hour to wait before they could actually enter the showroom.

"They have an interesting dynamic." Zexion mused to himself as he watched them bicker and tease each other. He had never been one for human interaction, but seeing Roxas and Axel act so at peace around each other made Zexion feel kind of lonely once again. Maybe hanging out with this group would help get rid of that feeling once and for all...

"So, when was the last time you came to the movies?" Demyx asked, sending Zexion's train of thought off the track. Usually that annoyed him to no end, but this time Zexion found himself happy, if not eager, to have this conversation with Demyx.

"Well...it was a few months ago if I recall correctly." He replied.

Demyx tilted his head. "Really? That long? Any particular reason?" He asked, but Zexion shook his head.

"Not really, I've just been busy with studying." Zexion replied. "Accelerated classes don't really grant time for fun, unless I get a quick chance to stop by the bookstore or the library." He explained.

Demyx nodded as he processed this. "Oh, maybe I could come with you to the bookstore sometime? Just...Just the two of us?"

Zexion raised an eyebrow, curious why Demyx felt the need to specify that he wanted to be alone with Zexion. He figured after a second that Demyx probably wanted to get to know him better one on one.

"Sure, that sounds like fun." He gave a soft smile, which turned into a look of alarm as Demyx turned completely red in the face, nearly crushing the just-bought popcorn in his suddenly clenched fist. Zexion didn't know what to do, so he quickly caught Axel's eye and gestured for him to come over.

"I-I think something's wrong with Demyx." He explained quickly when Axel was close enough to hear him.

"What happened?" Roxas asked, poking Demyx's red cheek.

"I-I'm not sure...We were talking, he asked if he could go to the bookstore with me sometime, just the two of us. I said sure and smiled at him, and then he turned red like this!" He explained in a rush, becoming even more confused when Roxas smirked and Axel burst into obnoxious laughter.

"What's so funny? I don't understand." Zexion asked helplessly. Demyx, seeming to slowly recover from whatever had suddenly ailed him, huffed and led Zexion away with a hand on his back.

"Don't worry about it, they're just a bunch of assholes." Demyx muttered. "Let's just go find some good seats."

Zexion was still hopelessly confused, but he didn't push it, seeing how Demyx looked like he was ready to move past the situation. Roxas and Axel soon followed, still snickering. Demyx hunched his shoulders until he noticed Zexion giving him a confused look, to which he gave a reassuring smile. Zexion smiled back, making his cheeks flush again.

Zexion, putting things together in his head, realized that Demyx was just extremely embarrassed. Despite his own inadequacy at not picking up on that sooner, Zexion was even more confused as to why he was embarrassed. He decided to ponder it later and just enjoy the movie they'd came to see.

When they got to the theater, they sat further up, in the center of the row. Zexion didn't like being in the center too much, as it left open a chance to be boxed in on either side. Demyx, bless him, noticed Zexion's discomfort and offered to move with him.

"We could sit at the end of the row, if you want to." Zexion nodded in agreement and appreciation, following Demyx to the end of the row and taking his seat on the one next to the stairs. This was a lot better.

"You don't have  to stay here with me," Zexion said, feeling guilty, "I don't want to keep you from your friends."

"Don't be silly! You're my friend, Zexion! Besides, Roxas and Axel will probably be making out during the movie anyway, so it'll be nice not to feel like a third wheel." Demyx chuckled.

"Well, if you insist." He said. The previews started, and usually Zexion would crack open his book and read during them whenever he got a rare moment to actually get to the movies. Instead, this time, he talked to Demyx. They were still somewhat early, so there wasn't anyone in the theaters and they didn't have to whisper.

"So, what do you like to do besides reading?" Demyx asked, turning in his chair to face Zexion.

"Well, I play the piano sometimes...I've been slowly getting into violin as well. You play the sitar, right? I hear you in the band room sometimes." Zexion replied, tilting his head in thought.

"Yep, that's me! Is the violin difficult?" Demyx asked.

"Well, I would think piano is harder, especially if you're singing along."

"Wait, do you sing?" Demyx seemed extremely excited at this prospect.

"S-Sometimes..." Zexion shrugged, not seeing the big deal. "I used to like drama a lot, but my parents...wanted me to focus on my academics. They said I can keep playing instruments as long as my grades don't drop, so I try to make sure I'm always at the top of my class, just to ensure they can't take that away from me."

Zexion felt that he had said too much in the silence that followed, and he sunk down in his seat to try and disappear.

"That's rough, man..." Demyx finally said. "That's a lot of pressure. And from what I've seen, you're really smart so why not let you have some fun as well? That doesn't make much sense."

Zexion blinked. He must admit that he agreed with that Demyx said, but he wasn't used to hearing his sentiments concurred.

"W-Well, I..." He tried to reply, but he was immediately shushed.

"The movie's starting!" Demyx hissed in a whisper, and Zexion rolled his eyes fondly and turned to face the front.


	5. Very Interesting From Now On

"What the _hell_ was that?!" Demyx raged.

They were leaving the theaters now, and Zexion was trying not to laugh at Demyx ranting about the movie. They had seen some movie about villains being recruited to defeat a bigger villain, and apparently Demyx wasn't having it.

"The main villains were barely in the movie, the plot was as thin as wet paper, and it was all in all complete bullshit!" Demyx took a deep breath to continue, only to cough as Axel whacked him on the back and made him choke.

"Give it a rest, man." He chuckled. "I told you the movie was going to be shit, but you need to listen to me next time. I won't ever lead you wrong."

Demyx raised an eyebrow. "Funny, you said the same thing a few days ago...which ended with me being confined in the library to avoid suspension." He pointed out. Axel waved his words away quickly.

"That's not the point. My point is, when it comes to movies, I am king."

"I think I need some citations on that fact." Zexion muttered, making Roxas snort.

"Oh sure, Professor. In MLA or APA?" Axel replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Considering APA is usually used for science related texts, MLA will do just fine." Zexion felt the urge to stick his tongue out, just managing to hold it in at the last second. The last thing he wanted to do was come off as immature.

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty. No more arguing!" Roxas cut in, smirking.

Zexion chuckled, bringing up his book to hide behind as he did so. He didn't know why he did it, it was more a habit than anything. Demyx flicked the book's cover with his index finger.

"What's this about?" Zexion blinked in surprise. "You want to...to know about my book?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure! It must be pretty interesting to have all of those sticky notes inside." Axel said, and Roxas nodded his agreement.

Zexion smiled a bit; he wasn't used to people caring about what he was interested in, and he felt excitement welling up inside of him at the prospect.

"Well basically..."

* * *

"...And then, he gets hit by a car!" Zexion smirked at the gasps from his friends. As he had begun telling the story, the gang had quickly gotten intrigued, even Axel, to the point where Axel had pulled over into a park instead of dropping Zexion off at home, and they all went to the swing set to continue the story. They sat on the free swings, Axel and Demyx on each end, with Roxas and Zexion sitting on the inside.

"Yeah, that was my reaction, too." Zexion chuckled, leaning his head against his hand and closing his eyes. This was super nice, just sitting here and talking with people who really cared about what he said. He was a bit bitter that he'd been missing out on this for so long, to be honest.

"What happened next?!" Axel asked eagerly, but Zexion shook his head.

"You'll have to read it. I'm not going to spoil the entire thing." He snickered at Axel's groan of anguish.

"I own it, Axel. You can borrow it from me." Roxas consoled his dramatic lover.

"I hope it's available at the library." Demyx muttered as he smirked at his friend's antics.

"Here, I'll check." Zexion pulled up the library app on his phone, and when he saw it was available, he reserved it. "When it comes in, I'll check it out for you."

Demyx beamed. "Wow, thanks Zexion!" Zexion shrugged a little with a smile. "Anything for you...that is, for a friend." He quickly corrected the Freudian slip, blushing darkly. Now he just felt dumb.

"Ooooh, you would do anything for Demyx? How sweet!" Axel cooed. Roxas smirked, not saying anything to correct him.

"I-I...you see, what I meant was..." Zexion stammered, not sure what to say to cool the redness in his cheeks.

"Come on, leave Zexion alone." Demyx huffed, rolling his eyes.

Zexion was about to thank him, his phone rang before he could say anything. Checking it, he saw it was one of his guardians. He got up and walked away from the group so they wouldn't hear, before he answered it. "Hello?"

"Why did it take you so long to answer?!" Came the panicked voice of Vexen. Zexion could already imagine him running his hands through his hair like he did when he was stressed.

"I'm with my friends. I walked out of earshot so they couldn't hear me." He waited for Vexen to take some deep breaths and calm down. He had always been overprotective, ever since Zexion had first been adopted as a child, but Zexion couldn't bring himself to be annoyed. Vexen and the rest of his guardians only wanted the best for him, which is why sometimes they were so strict. But their hearts were in the right place, and Zexion would rather them care too much than not care at all, like his real parents.

Zexion snapped out of his reverie when he heard a new voice on the phone.

"You trying to give the old man a heart attack, kid?" Xigbar chuckled, having snatched the phone from Vexen with in one fell swoop.

"No, I was just hanging out with my friends." Zexion muttered, huffing at the small laugh that came from the other line.

"...Wait, you're serious?" Zexion growled under his breath.

"I'm just kidding. Have fun, be home before midnight, blah blah blah." Xigbar hung up, and Zexion grumbled to himself as he walked back over to the group.

Well, were the group had been...

No one was there on the swings anymore. Where had they gone? Had they left Zexion? Did they realize that they didn't want him around?? Zexion was just beginning to feel the start of an anxiety attack coming on, his mind beginning to buzz, when he heard his name being called. His head whipped up to see the three kids heading towards him, holding something blue on a brown stick. As they got closer, Zexion could see it was sea salt ice cream.

"I-Isn't it the beginning of fall?" He asked, trying to ignore the way his voice cracked. Blessedly, his friends ignored it too.

"Sorry we left you hanging, it's the last ice cream truck until next summer. We all agreed that some ice cream would be the best way to commemorate your addition to the group!" Roxas said, shoving an ice cream in his face.

Zexion gingerly took the stick, raising an eyebrow. He had never had it before. He wasn't sure if he would liked it, and he would feel guilty if they wasted their money on him. He raised an eyebrow and gave it a gentle lick, letting out a small hum of approval.

"It's good, right?" Roxas said smugly. Zexion nodded with a grin.

"Okay, it's not half bad," He admitted. "But I really should be heading home. My guardian called me nearly having a heart attack because I wasn't home. I'm not trying to kill him." He felt a little warm inside at the looks of disappointment, happy that they still wanted him around.

"Well, we'll pick you up tomorrow morning for school." Axel said, patting Zexion's shoulder. "But for now, let's get going."

They all piled into the car, and Zexion propped his chin up in his palm, mostly covering his mouth to hide the wide smile he couldn't get rid of. It felt weird on his face, but in a good way. There was comfortable banter as they drove, and Zexion was dropped off home with well wishes and promises of tomorrow.

Zexion watched them drive off until their car was gone, before standing on the porch for a few minutes as he tried to process that he had friends now. He tried to wipe the smile off his face so he wouldn't seem suspicious, but he just grinned wider, a flush spreading across his cheeks. Whatever, he could go in. He unlocked the door and walked in, trying to hide his face behind his book and hurry to his room.

"AHA! Wait right there, mister!" Zexion winced as his ears were assaulted by Vexen's screech. He kept the book over his face, but turned slightly so he could see peek under his hair.

"Where have you been?!" Vexen stomped over, his face so red Zexion was worried that he'd burst a blood vessel. "I told you, I was out with friends. You know, like a regular teenager." Was the dry reply.

"Come on Vexen, lay off of 'im. The kid needs to have some fun once and a while." Xigbar said, clapping a hand on Vexen's shoulder in an attempt to chill him out. "Though, I am curious as to why he's covering his face with that book...Did they hurt you, kid?" A dangerous glint showed in his eye.

"N-No, I'm fine." Zexion set the book aside. Even with all the screeching, his grin and his blush was still stubbornly persistent. There was silence as two of his guardians watched him fidget.

"Oooh, I see." Xigbar finally said with a smirk. "Someone catch your eye out there, kiddo?" He teased.

Zexion's eyes widened and his blush turned a few shades darker. "No! No, not at all! Shut up!" He said defensively as Xigbar howled with laughter. Vexen looked broken meanwhile, at the thought of his little prodigy growing up enough to have his eye on anyone.

The teasing and antics were interrupted by a rapid knocking on the door. The three paused and looked at each other, then back at the door. Zexion went to open it, standing on his toes to see through the peephole first.

"Oh!" It was Demyx. Zexion quickly opened the door, fumbling slightly as he tried to get the lock undone. When he finally got the door open, he was greeted with a blinding smile.

"Hey! I can't be long, I asked Axel to stop me by here really quick. You left your phone in the car, and...I may have kind of put my number in there..? Y-You can delete it if you don't want it--!"

Zexion shook his head. "No, I'll keep it." He aimed his shy smile at Demyx, a smug feeling welling in his chest as Demyx turned red.

"U-Uh, cool! Well, I'll see you in the morning, heh." Demyx rubbed the back of his neck, before heading back to the lingering car. Zexion waved goodbye, before shutting the door and locked it. He let out a small huff, leaning his head against the closed door and closing his eyes. What was happening to him?

"Well, that was interesting." Xigbar said from behind him, sounding like the cat that got the cream.

"Who was that boy, Zexion? That wasn't Demyx Mizu, was it? That boy is a troublemaker, always hanging out with that Axel boy who always sets something on fire, one way or another!" Vexen's tone was disapproving, and he kept going, but Zexion wasn't really listening. He had moved so he was sitting at the table. He opened his phone and texted Demyx, smiling a little when he got a near instant response.

Xigbar, watching Zexion with a huge smirk, interrupted Vexen's rant by grabbing his arm and turning him to face Zexion.

"Something tells me he isn't listening." Xigbar commented, and they watched as Zexion's phone pinged and the way his smile would crook and his blush would vary in shade but never fade.

"Something also tells me he has it bad~" He said in a sing-song voice, laughing at the way Vexen looked like his whole world just crashed around him. This will be very interesting, it seemed.


	6. Having Friends Is Weird

The next morning, Zexion woke up a lot more tired than usual, which is saying something since he was prone to staying up late to work or read. He glared at his alarm with hatred, wanting to smash it but not wanting to deal with the consequences. But this time, instead of working or being productive, he had been awake because texting Demyx had been addicting. Eventually he had been added to a group chat with Demyx, Axel and Roxas as well, which didn't help him get to sleep any time soon. He found that he still had no regrets, even as he saw the dark circle under his eyes when he went to brush his teeth and take a shower.

The warm water only lulled him into a deeper trance, and he found himself drifting off in the shower. He had to shake his head and force himself to step out, wrapping himself in a towel and hurrying back to his room to escape the cold air. He dried off and got dressed, before he got a phone call.

"Uh, hello?" He answered, not thinking to look at the caller ID. He was putting on his shoes at this point, holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder.

"Zexion! I'm heading to your place soon, just so you know. I'm stopping to get Roxas and Demyx, and then we'll be there. Don't eat anything, we're stopping at McDonalds." Axel said in a rush, hanging up before Zexion's sleep-addled brain could form a response.

Zexion stared at his phone in disbelief until the screen went black, before snapping out of his reverie. "Okay then...I guess they were serious about picking me up." He muttered, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and heading downstairs.

"I see you're awake, though a bit later than usual. You're usually awake before your alarm even goes off." Vexen commented. "I asked Xaldin to wait for you, but he wanted to get to scool early since he had some business to take care of with the headmaster."

Zexion shuddered. Headmaster Xehanort was a super creepy guy. He hadn't done anything, really, he just had this air that you want to avoid the old man at all costs. He seemed to pay special attention to the students with potential, like Zexion himself, but again he hadn't done anything to set off more than the occasional creep meter. Nothing to warrant any disciplinary action or even a mention in anything other than passing.

However, Xehanort's grandson, Xemnas, seemed to have inherited those genes. He was suave, charismatic, but with a slightly predatory air that he couldn't quite shake. Even though he didn't interact with Xaldin that much, since he had another job in the evening, he still cared for his third guardian and hoped he wouldn't be around that man too long.

"Do you plan to walk?" Zexion was snapped out of his thoughts by Vexen's inquiry. "I could drive you, since I need to be leaving in a few moments anyway."

"Uh, no. Axel just called and told me he was on his way." Vexen's expression soured like milk, and Zexion found himself holding back a snigger.

 "Where is Xigbar?" Zexion asked, finally noticing the absence of the usually exuberant and slightly belligerent man.

"Where else? Still sleeping. He had a late night, keeping me company while I graded some papers."

Zexion raised an eyebrow; something told him that Xigbar was more of a hindrance on Vexen's progress than a docile component, but who was he to judge? As long as he got his papers back on time, they could do what they liked. Besides, it was their home after all.

There was a rapid knocking on the door, making Zexion jump slightly.

"I suppose your friends are here." Vexen muttered drily, taking a long sip of his coffee.

Zexion nodded. "I suppose so. I'll see you at school, Vexen." The blond man nodded in agreement, watching his charge as he opened the door to be greeted with the red haired menace and his short blonde companion.

"Zexion, right on time. We thought you had left without us." Axel teased, booping Zexion's nose and smirking as it twitched.

Roxas' greeting was a bit more subdued, offering Zexion a fist bump which he accepted after a moment of hesitation.

"Sorry if we kept you up all night, we get a little carried away in the group chat sometimes." Roxas said, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle.

 "I didn't mind, my alarm made sure I was up on time. Though I didn't appreciate the effort." Zexion smirked a little.

"Well, there's coffee and breakfast burritos in the car; let's go before Demyx eats them all." Axel said, ushering Zexion out of the house with a hand on his back.

Roxas smirked at Zexion, commenting, "You should have seen how excited Demyx was to see you; he was like a happy puppy. When we told him to wait in the car he looked devastated."

Zexion tilted his head. "Why? He just saw me yesterday, does he not remember? Why would he be so enthusiastic?"

"Because he likes you, duh." Axel said, ignoring Roxas' warning look. However, the implications went right over Zexion's head once again, like it did in the movie theater.

"I would hope so. It would be a waste of time to spend time with someone who doesn't have valuable company." Zexion was faced with a blank stare from Axel and an exasperated one with Roxas.

"Wow, you are dense." Zexion frowned in offense at Roxas' comment, but before he could respond or inquire Roxas got in the car. With a huff, he got in the backseat beside a very happy and apparently hyper Demyx Mizu.

"Zexion! Finally, I thought you would never get in the car; here!" He shoved a warm drink in Zexion's hands, a sniff confirming it to be coffee. He took a tentative sip, finding that it was to his liking...Roxas must have had a hand in that, since they had taken turns getting coffee for each other when Zexion tutored him at times.

Roxas handed him two breakfast burritos from a large McDonalds bag in the front, and the car was silent for a while as they ate their food.

"Demyx wouldn't let us eat until we had picked you up; I guess he wanted the family all together." Roxas said sarcastically, Axel almost choking on his coffee as a laugh ripped though him.

"A family? Oh my." Zexion smirked a little, glancing over at Demyx who was red in the face. "I didn't know we were so close."

Demyx wheezed, and Zexion wondered if he would be okay since he looked like he was seconds away from suffocating.

"I didn't know you were such a flirt, Zexion." Axel said pointedly, making the man in question stutter and his mind screech to a halt.

"W-What? I wasn't flirting, I was merely making a joke!" Axel roared with laughter at Zexion's embarrassment.

"Axel, stop being an ass." Roxas said when he heard Demyx give a pitiful whimper and noticed the puppy dog eyes he was receiving from the other blond. "Let's just get to school before we're late. Zexion and I have first period all the way across the campus' it takes us a good 15 to 20 minutes to get there, and I know Zexion hates being late."

As the teasing died down, Zexion glanced at Demyx through his hair, wanting to see his reaction to the supposed flirting that had been going on. He could see that Demyx was still completely red in the face, despite him trying to hide it by looking out the window.

"Hey...sorry about that." Zexion whispered, so he didn't interrupt Axel and Roxas' conversation. Demyx turned to him, seeming surprised that Zexion was talking to him.

"It's fine, I know you didn't mean it like that. Axel is just an ass." He chuckled slightly, a hint of sadness to his tone although Zexion had no idea why.

"Well, I...I'm glad you're not upset." A comfortable silence fell over the two, and it continued until they got to school.


	7. Tension

When they got to school and parked, Demyx and Zexion had to wait a good 10 minutes for Axel and Roxas to get done saying their sappy goodbyes. It was cute but also kind of gross. Very gross.

"So, how about I meet you after last period and we can head to the car?" Demyx suggested. "But I don't know where your class is, so could I...maybe see your schedule?"

Axel snickered from nearby where he was leaning against the car with Roxas in his arms. "He thinks he's so smooth." Roxas shushed him, holding in a snigger of his own and trying to ignore the way Demyx was glaring at them.

Zexion smiled a little, pulling the aforementioned slip of paper out of his pocket and handing it over to the blond haired teen. "There you go. As you can see, my 8th and final period is AP Physics."

"Nerd." Axel muttered, before letting out a dramatic yelp as Roxas pinched him and mumbled, "I'm in that class with him, you dork." Axel didn't even have the decency to look sheepish, to Roxas' exasperation.

"I know, I am fully aware that both of you are complete and utter nerds." Axel yelped as Roxas pinched him once more, crying out, "I'm being bullied, assaulted, harassed!" The dramatics were in full swing, and Roxas could do nothing but wait for Axel to wear himself out, since the redhead refused to release Roxas, no matter how much he complained.

"Let's just go. Axel will make sure Roxas gets to class on time." Demyx coaxed, leading Zexion away from the pair, who didn't even notice them leaving.

Zexion and Demyx walked down the sidewalk towards the main school building, which they had to get through and up to the second floor in the next 15 minutes if Zexion wanted to make it on time. Demyx's class was on the floor below, so he wasn't really concerned with being late. There was no time for talking as they nearly sprinted across the quad, through the front doors after scanning their student ID's, pounding up the stairs as there was no time to wait for the elevator. By the time they finally got to the third floor, Zexion felt like his lungs were going to explode. But he still wasn't done; he had to make it across to the other side of the building still.

"Get on my back!" Demyx said suddenly, and Zexion found himself struck dumb. On his back? Whatever for? Didn't they have to get to--

Zexion was snapped out of his thoughts as Demyx lifted him, yelping as he was thrown over the boys shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Sorry, but you were taking too long to think! Your legs are shorter so I'm giving you a lift!" Demyx said, but Zexion noted that he didn't sound sorry in the slightest, if his snickering was anything to go by. Goodness, people were staring!

Zexion was glad that Vexen's class was on the second floor because if he saw what Demyx was doing right now he would probably lose his mind. He'd think Zexion was being kidnapped or something, which couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Here you go!" Demyx said, depositing Zexion in front of his classroom, mere moments before the bell rang. There was no time for goodbyes and both boys went their opposite ways.

Zexion found that Roxas was already in class, which he could not comprehend because he should have seen him coming, or at least have been there before Roxas in the first place. He decided not to question him about it since the teacher was already giving him a dirty look for nearly being late. He just sat down and got to work like the model student he was.

* * *

After their morning classes, the students dispersed around campus for lunch. Some went off-campus to pick something up, some retreated to the library to try and sneak snacks in while avoiding the watchful eye of the librarian and Lexaeus on occasion. Zexion usually took this time to study to read, or if he had the rare opportunity, head to the music room to get some practice in.

But on this day, he didn't have the time to even think about what he was going to do, as Roxas was waiting for him after third period in the hallway. Zexion didn't have time for a greeting, as Roxas grabbed his wrist and pulled him along through the halls. Alright, so it looked like Zexion's destiny was chosen for him. Or something like that.

"We need to talk." Roxas said, leading Zexion to a more isolated hallway as people began to file outside. When it was relatively empty, he finally let Zexion's wrists go.

"Is everything alright?" Zexion asked, tilting his head. He rubbed his wrist lightly, since Roxas had a pretty iron grip.

"I sure hope so." Roxas replied. "You live with Mr. Dilan correct?" He asked.

Where was Roxas going with this? "Yes...? Along with Mr. Even and Mr. Braig. What of it?" Zexion replied, crossing his arms.

"Nothing, just...during second period I had to go to the office to pick up some papers for the teacher, and...they were talking about you. Mr. Dilan and the headmaster."

Zexion shivered slightly, the thought of the headmaster turning his creepy spotlight on him making him feel very uneasy and very nervous. "What were they saying?"

"That's the thing...the headmaster was asking all kinds of things about you, about your life. Mr. Dilan asked him why he wanted to know, and apparently Xemnas has taken an interest in you." Roxas made a face, his brows furrowing. "I guess the headmaster is acting as some sort of creepy wingman for him? I'm not sure, but you need to be very careful, okay? You're smart enough to know that they are both bad news."

Roxas kept talking, but Zexion zoned out completely, his thoughts running wild. Xemnas had an interest in him?! For what possible reason?? In all of Zexion's time at this school, he could not recall a single time when they had talked, other than when they had to work on a project together one time. But the didn't talk then, it was just a dissection lab and there was no more than two sentences exchanged between them. So Zexion couldn't fathom why Xemnas had this interest in him all of a sudden.

 "Zexion? Hello??" Zexion jumped when Roxas poked him in the arm. "There you are. You zoned out on me, and you're looking kind of pale. I didn't tell anyone else, not even Axel and Demyx, and I won't unless you say it's okay."

Zexion sighed shakily, his whole world having been turned upside down. "N-No, they don't need to know. Hopefully nothing will come of this, and there no reason to make them worried if nothing will happen to me."

Roxas looked like he wanted to protest, but he kept it to himself. "Okay...if you say so. I won't tell them, but you need to let me know if it escalates." Roxas stared him down until Zexion promised, then they headed downstairs into the commons to meet up with Axel and Demyx.

When they got to the first floor, Axel and Demyx were waiting for them at the doors, talking casually amongst themselves. When they noticed the two boys approaching, their conversation quickly died as they immediately picked up on the aura coming off of the two boys. With Roxas' serious frown and Zexion looking even more pale than usual, it was no secret that something was wrong.

"What's with the long faces?" Axel asked, his teasing tone carrying an undercurrent of concern.

Roxas shook his head, not wanting to say and having no intention of doing so. Demyx and Axel then looked to Zexion to see if he wanted to explain, but the slate-haired boy seemed to be pointedly fixated on the scuffed tile floor beneath their feet.

"...Okay, not up for talking then." Axel said awkwardly. "I guess we'll just go get lunch or something." He said, leading the group out into the commons area where the food trucks lined up each day, hired specifically by the school.

Silence fell over them, until Demyx decided that he had something he needed to say. "You guys go ahead. I need to talk to Zexion really quick."

Axel seemed fine with this turn of events, hoping Demyx could bring Zexion some sort of peace with whatever he was going through, but Roxas hesitated. He didn't want to leave Zexion alone if he'd be more uncomfortable. Zexion, noticing his worried stare, nodded and said, "Y-Yeah, we'll catch up with you."

Roxas still seemed a bit apprehensive, but he allowed Axel to take his hand and lead him off. Zexion watched them go, for no other reason than the fact that he didn't want to meet Demyx's intense gaze.

"...Come on, I know where we can go to talk. No one should overhear us." He said, taking the boy's hand and leading him back into the school.

Neither of them noticed the golden eyes, laced with malice and curiosity, following them across the field.


	8. Read With Me While The Danger Passes

Demyx didn't have a plan.

His first plan was to take Zexion to a more private space and try to force the truth out of him when they were alone. Obviously, it was important enough to upset him, so Demyx felt it was important to know. But as he thought about it, he realized that doing that would be entirely fucked up. If Zexion didn't want to tell him, cornering him and trying to force the truth out of the shy teen would do nothing but make things infinitely worse. He didn't want to ruin all the progress he had made.

However, now he had no idea what the hell he was going to do. He was heading to the music room, but he had no idea what to do once they got there.

"Demyx?" He paused, turning to look down at the slate-haired boy. He looked confused, worried, and a bit apprehensive. Demyx hated that; he wanted Zexion to feel comfortable around him. But at the same time, Demyx hadn't said a word in about 20 minutes since they started walking, which was already completely out of the norm for him.

"Yeah, sorry. I was lost in thought." He muttered, still rattling his brain for an idea of where exactly they were going. Finally, something hit him. "Hey, has that book come in that you reserved? The one we read at the park, what was it called?"

"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe." Zexion reminded him. "I thought you forgot about it by now; I don't know if it's available yet."

Demyx shrugged. "Well, there's only one way to find out!" He smiled. He was flooded with relief, slightly altering their course so they were heading to the library. Maybe getting the book would get Zexion's mind off of what was bothering him.

 Zexion was quiet for a moment before he said, "Why do you want to go with me? You could be hanging out with Axel and Roxas."

Demyx paused, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean? You're my friend, so of course I want to spend time with you. Besides, I see Roxas and Axel all the time; I want to know more about you, Zexion." He said, smiling at him.

"Oh...I guess I thought that you were only going with me so I would tell you what's wrong." Zexion said truthfully, although he did seem a little guilty for thinking that way.

Demyx didn't seem bothered, however, "I can kinda see why you would think that. I do want to know since it seemed to have gotten under your skin, but I understand that you don't want to talk about it, so I'm going to get your mind off it instead!"

Zexion didn't know what to say about that. So, the best course of action, it seemed, would be to just go with the flow and see what happened. Demyx wasn't untrustworthy; at least, he didn't think so.

"...You're a good friend, Demyx." He murmured, a small blush forming on his cheeks at the admission.

Demyx just smiled and said simply, "I know."

When they got to the library, Lexaeus was shelving books in the front shelf closest to the door. He turned when the two walked in, and Demyx could see as his usual scowl lessened a few degrees when his eyes landed on Zexion. Huh, he didn't know they knew each other.

"So Zexion, where do we go to find this book?" Demyx asked, not being familiar with the library in any way, shape, or form.

Zexion pointed to a small corner where there were smaller shelves with books on them, slips of paper hanging out from between the pages. "That's the reserve section, where books are pulled for people who request them and saved. The slips are their names and student ID numbers." He said.

"Alright, let's go see." Demyx headed over, his fingers still laced in Zexion's.

"Here."

Demyx let out an unmanly squeal as Lexaeus seemed to appear, holding the aforementioned book they had come for. Where he had come from was still a mystery, since someone so large should not have silent footsteps.

"Thank you, Lexaeus," Zexion said, completely unfazed. "Lexaeus sometimes holds my requested books at the front desk instead of putting them on the reserve shelf." He explained to Demyx, who looked like he was still recovering from his recent heart attack.

"O-Oh...That's really awesome." He smiled at the giant man, who seemed to radiate fewer waves of hatred now than before. It also helped that he saw Demyx was a good worker yesterday when he was serving his first day of volunteering punishment for Axel's stunt that he took the fall for. Speaking of that, he had to work here again later today and would have to do so for the rest of the month to avoid getting suspended.

"Will you be here after school?" Lexaeus asked, a slight challenge in his voice as if he was daring Demyx to try and back out.

"Yep! I'll be here as soon as the last period ends!" Demyx said, trying to sound like he wasn't literally quaking in his boots. He couldn't help it, Lexaeus was scary! He was more scared about what he would do if Demyx tried to back out than he was of being suspended. Plus, Zexion loved this place so it might mean he would get to see him more often.

"How often do you come to the library, anyway?" Demyx asked, wondering just he often he would get to see the slate-haired boy.

"Usually every day before school, during lunch, and after school as well. I love the calming atmosphere of this place." Zexion replied, smiling at the mere thought of it.

 "Calming, huh? Never really thought about it like that." His eyes swept over the place. He has always seen it as boring and mind-numbing, but he could see how someone like Zexion could enjoy this place. It suited him, in a way.

"Well, now I have something to read to pass the time!" Glancing at Lexaeus, he added with a quickness, "O-Of course, as long as there's no work to be done." He waited until the man gave an approving nod before he let himself breathe again.

Zexion snickered, trying to hide it when Demyx frowned at him. He couldn't help it, Demyx's irrational fear of Lexaeus was quite humorous. He could understand it in a way, but since he had known the man for so long the thought of fearing him now seemed illogical. The library doors opened behind them, and Zexion felt his blood freeze when he saw who had just entered.

Xemnas' golden eyes scanned the area with an air of malice, and when his eyes landed on Zexion the smirk that stretched across his lips made Zexion want to crawl into a hole and hide. Knowing what he knew, he wanted nothing more than to never see Xemnas again. His view was suddenly blocked when Demyx subtly stepped in front of him so that the only thing he saw was his face. A much better view, he had to admit.

"Is he what you were upset about earlier?" Demyx whispered, and Zexion gave a sheepish nod. A grim look crossed Demyx's face, but he didn't do anything rash, especially since he didn't know the full story. "What do you want to do? We can leave, or move to another part of the library, or..." He trailed off, not sure what other options there were for them to do.

"Come on." Lexaeus chimed in. He had seen the predatory look in Xemnas' eyes, and he would be damned if he let anything happen to Zexion. 

"Where are we going?" Zexion asked, beginning to follow as Xemnas' eyes tracked them like prey. He was still standing in the doorway as if fencing them in so they couldn't escape.

"Backroom. If anyone asks, you two are helping me with shelving." Lexaeus unlocked the door and led them in. "You can wait here. I'll come to get you both when he's gone so you won't miss afternoon classes." He left them, the door locking as he shut it. 

Demyx looked around the dim room, noting that it was mostly comprised of boxes among boxes of books. Not much else, but Zexion looked like he was in heaven so he decided not to complain.

"So...wanna read this book with me?" He held up the paperback that they'd come to get in the first place.

"Read it with you? How so?" Zexion raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure we have different reading speeds."

"Well, we can take turns reading a chapter out loud. As long as we're fairly quiet, no one should hear us. What do you say?" He smiled, waggling his eyebrows.

Zexion smirked a little, putting his finger under his chin as he thought about it. "Alright, I don't see why not." He replied, and they settled down in front of a wall of boxes so they had something to lean on.

Demyx decided to start off, and with the clearing of his throat he began, "One summer night I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke..."


	9. Zexion Protextion Squad

"So...you wanna tell me what's going on with you and Zexion?" Axel asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

They hadn't moved from their spot since Demyx had dragged Zexion off. Roxas had tried to act normal, but he was not a good liar when it came to the important stuff. Axel knew that the more serious it was, the more awkward Roxas acted if he wasn't allowed to talk about it. Since Roxas was acting like a scared freshman on the first day of school, it was safe to assume that something very serious was going on.

"Yes, but I can't. It has to do with Zexion and he specifically said he didn't want me to tell you guys. If Zexion wants you to know, then he'll tell you." Axel knew that when it came to loyalty, Roxas was the most loyal son of a bitch you could ever have in your corner. Most of the time it was the first thing on the list of why Axel loved him so, but in times like this, it made him want to pull all of his hair out.

"Roxas, you know I love how loyal you are, but from the way Zexion was even paler than usual, someone is seriously in danger or something is seriously wrong." He tried once more to get Roxas to tell him anything, but he was simply not budging.

Axel sighed, pinching his nose bridge in aggravation. "Well, they should be back by now. Lunch is almost over and the last thing we need is to be late." He sat in the grass, figuring that they weren't going anywhere any time soon.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "I'm never late, and neither is Zexion. You and Demyx on the other hand, hold the records for the most detentions for being late. The last thing either of you need is more trouble on your record."

"Why do you have to call me out like that?" Axel pretended to look wounded.

Roxas didn't bother to respond to his boyfriend's dramatics, instead deciding to pull out his phone and send a text to Zexion to ask where he was and if everything was okay. He stared at his phone as one minute passed, then two, then five, then ten, and then there were only five more minutes of lunch and there was still no reply.

"Okay, they're not replying and lunch is almost over. We need to go find them and find them now." Roxas said. 

"Sounds good to me. Where do you think they could be?" Axel asked, not really caring that they could be late. Their friends could be in serious trouble, and even if he didn't know what was going on, he was always going to put his friends first. It was one of the things that Roxas loved about Axel; even if he didn't know what the fuck was going on, if one of his friends needed his help he was immediately on board.

"Either the music room or the library, but I would assume the library since Zexion is usually there and Demyx would want to take him somewhere he can relax and maybe talk about what's bothering him if he decides he wants to."

"Welp, I can't go in there since I'm still banned until next month. But, I can wait outside for moral support." Axel gave a thumbs up as his boyfriend gave a longsuffering sigh and looked to the sky as if asking a deity what he did to deserve this delinquent of a boyfriend.

* * *

"How long have we been in here?" Demyx asked softly.

 They were almost ten chapters into the book, and they had both lost track of time. Zexion looked up at him after sticking yet another sticky note into the book to mark a quote Demyx had particularly liked. He had used almost a whole pad of them by now, but he found he didn't mind. Demyx was an interesting person to throw ideas back and forth with. He wasn't nearly as ditzy as he appeared. They had decided the best way to both read together was for Zexion to sit in Demyx's lap. It had been Zexion's idea, really, as it was the only one that allowed for both ease and comfort, and he wasn't exactly sure why Demyx had turned red at the idea. Was closeness like this not something close friends were supposed to do? Maybe Demyx didn't see them that way, yet...however, before he could take his suggestion back, Demyx had jumped to agree. So that's how they had remained all this time.

 "I'm not exactly sure." Zexion took his phone out of his pocket, noticing a text from Roxas. Almost 12 minutes ago. Uh oh. The poor boy was probably losing his fucking mind right about now. Zexion cursed to himself; why hadn't he kept a stronger grasp of time?!

 "Well, not only did Roxas text us to check up almost 15 minutes ago, but we have less than five minutes until lunch is over. However, since Lexaeus hasn't come to collect us, it's safe to assume that Xemnas has not yet departed."

 "So...what do we do now?" Demyx asked.

 Zexion sighed, running a hand through his hair as a new wave of stress washed over him in the form of a very intense migraine. "I guess we don't have an option but to leave and make it to class so we aren't late. Even is my next class, and I know I would not have a good excuse for being late to the class of my guardian." He got to his feet and handed the book to Demyx.

 "Can we keep reading this together? I...I like hearing your thoughts and talking to you about what we read together." Demyx murmured, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

 Zexion paused, then smiled and nodded. "Of course, I'd enjoy discussing our views together as we read."

Demyx opened his mouth to say more, but then the door opened. Lexaeus peered in and said, "He's gone. However, your two friends are waiting for you outside. I told them you would be out shortly."

"Thank you Lexaeus, both for harboring us and for alerting our friends." Zexion led Demyx out of the library and to the front entrance, where Roxas was pacing and Axel was leaning against the wall. Both of them had an air of anxiety about them, and Zexion couldn't deny the guilt that washed over him for worrying some of the few people who cared about him.

"There you two are!" Axel exclaimed, and Roxas stared Zexion down with worry in his eyes. He didn't look away until Zexion nodded that he was fine, and then it was like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Axel wrapped an arm around Zexion's shoulders and said, "It seems like I'm the only one not in the loop here. If something's going on Zexion, I want to know so I can help." His tone was unusually serious in a way that unsettled Zexion, and he found he wanted to restore the usual teasing lilt. Besides, he had an itching idea that things were going to get very much worse before they got any better and they were going to need all the help they could get.

Zexion took a deep breath and finally spilled the beans, "Roxas found out that Master Xehanort has been asking questions about me to my guardians because Xemnas seems to be interested in me."

Axel furrowed his brow. "Interested, how?" Now he sounded angry, but Zexion knew it wasn't directed at him.

"I...I'm not sure as of now. However, Demyx and I did not return to you both because Xemnas cornered us in the library." He winced at Roxas' sharp intake of breath, but continued to speak. "Lexaeus let us hide in the back while we waited for Xemnas to leave so we could avoid him for now."

"Then why didn't you answer my text? You had to know that we were going to worry about you!" Roxas asked, exasperation clear in his tone.

Demyx chimed in, a red flush on his cheeks. "Sorry, we were reading together and sort of lost track of time." He held up the heavily sticky noted book as evidence, and once again Roxas looked to the heavens and wondered why.

This entire time they had all been powerwalking to class, but now it was time to split up. Axel and Zexion both had Mr. Even together, Demyx had music, and Roxas had a photography class. They all agreed to meet up at Axel's truck after school, and broke off.

It wasn't until they walked into the classroom with only 30 seconds to spare that Zexion remembered that Xemnas was in this class too. He swallowed as the man himself locked eyes with him and gave a predatory smirk. He wanted to be sick, he felt lightheaded...He was snapped out of this spiral but the heavy but comforting weight of Axel's arm falling across his shoulders.

"Don't worry, he's not going to get anywhere near you," Axel whispered, keeping his glare on Xemnas the entire time. "I won't let it happen, neither will Roxas or Demyx."

Zexion felt himself become overcome with emotion. He had friends now, and apparently this thought still hadn't sunk in yet. Zexion was incredibly grateful that he wasn't facing this alone, and he would make sure that they knew of his gratitude.

 

 

 


	10. Stay Away From My Friends

Chemistry was an interesting affair, to say the least. Mr. Even hadn't been exactly pleased to see his pride and joy walking in with one of the resident troublemakers, but he would much rather Zexion be with him than be with Xemnas, who was looking at Zexion like a prized piece of steak. Not that he would ever admit it; better not inflate Axel's ego any more than it already was.

"Today class, you're going to be working in pairs of two. I will be deciding your pairs, so don't think you will be slacking off with your best friend instead of doing your work in my class." Looking at his roster, he called out pairs in an orderly fashion.

Anyone who had Mr. Even for more than two days knew that his word was law in his classroom and unless there was a specific reason, he would not be changing his mind.

"Selphie and Kairi, Sora and Riku, Zexion and Axel..." More was said but Zexion didn't hear it as he was too busy slumping in relief that he wouldn't be working with Xemnas, who was the smartest kid in class besides him. He did notice, however, how Xemnas' gaze turned steely and cold, making Zexion want to sink into the ground and never emerge.

Axel, bless him, noticed the steely gaze and whispered, "Switch seats with me. He won't be able to see you that way." With a grateful but slightly shaky grin, Zexion gathered his things quietly and made the change. It did help, not having that predatory gaze focused on him. His hands stopped shaking, and he could finally focus on the actual lesson being taught.

Across the room, Xemnas was plotting. Obviously, Zexion's friends knew what was going on, but Xemnas was never one to back down when things got difficult. If anything, that only made Zexion more enticing to chase.

"Remind me again what you see in him?" Saix asked from his side, loyal as always. He had been his right-hand man since freshman year when Saix was feeling more abandoned than ever by Axel, the one who was supposed to be his best friend. All Xemnas had to do was swoop in and administer some gentle manipulation, and within a week Xemnas had driven a wedge between the two and had kept Saix under his thumb ever since.

"...Many things, I suppose." He didn't offer more, and Saix didn't ask. Xemnas had his reasons, but now wasn't the time to disclose them. Right now, he was content to watch Zexion from afar; from the soft pink of his lips to the soft texture of his hair. Oh yes, Zexion would be a fine trophy indeed.

Mr. Even wasn't dumb and unlike Saix, he wasn't undyingly loyal. Xemnas had no good intentions towards his son, and he would be damned if he let this boy, Headmaster's grandson or not, mess with his son in any way. He wasn't going to say anything, not yet. But he would be watching, taking notes, and telling Zexion's guardians to watch out as well.

Narrowing his eyes, he murmured, "Yes, I will be watching very closely."

* * *

After class, Axel made sure to get Zexion the fuck out of dodge, as the last thing they wanted to do was run into the Silver Creeper himself.

"That was probably the most uncomfortable class I've ever been in." Zexion murmured, and his hands began shaking again. His vision got blurry, and his breath began to speed up, even though he felt like he couldn't get any air. Axel cursed under his breath, not sure if Zexion was going to have a panic attack, but what he did know was that the last thing Zexion wanted was for anyone to see him freak out.

"Come on, I'll walk you to class and on the way, I want you to do three things. First, inhale for four seconds, then hold for seven seconds, and finally release for-"

"Eight seconds." Zexion finished. He had used that breathing technique a lot back when his parents died. He rarely had panic attacks about the incident, but sometimes they still crept up on him when he's under intense stress. He did the exercise, and as his lungs were forced to follow a rhythm, his brain was also forced to relax.

Axel didn't ask. Obviously, if Zexion already knew this technique, then something must have happened to need it, and if it was Axel, there was no way in hell he would want to talk about it. "Are you going to be able to go to class?" He murmured.

Zexion nodded. "Y-Yes, I should be fine. Luckily for me, my next class is not with...him. I should be able to focus adequately and without distraction."

Axel furrowed his brow. "It's not about whether you can focus, it's about whether your mental state can handle classes right now. There's nothing wrong with needing a break, man. Your hands are still shaking and everything." Zexion stuffed his quivering hands in his pockets, clenching his fists to try and cease their incessant quaking.

"Thank you for your concern, but honestly, I assure you I am fine. I just need a normal, familiar setting to wind down in, and class is the best place for that."

Axel snorted. Of course, the nerd was calm in class. He meant it in the best way, of course; he found himself growing quite fond of his new friend. He had been a bit skeptical when Roxas wanted to hang out with him, but he found that Zexion was sort of like a missing puzzle piece that had finally connected with the rest of them. He belonged here, and he knew that Roxas and Demyx felt the same. He also knew that Demyx felt more than a simple buddy-buddy type of deal around Zexion, but with everything going on it wasn't time to play matchmaker. What Zexion needed was a close group of good friends, not the complicated and often overemotional situation of a new relationship.

"Either Roxas or Demyx will be here after class to walk you to your next class, since I will be on the other side of the building," Seeing Zexion scrunch his nose in disapproval, he continued, "It may seem overkill, but hey, we have no idea what this weirdo wants with you and at what lengths he's gonna go to fulfill his stalker scenario. Better safe than sorry." He shrugged, and Zexion gave a hesitant nod. As much as it felt weird having a bodyguard, it did feel better knowing that he wasn't going to be alone and open to advances or whatever else Xemnas had planned.

When they got to his room, Zexion turned to the taller man. "Axel?"

The subject of his query raised an eyebrow, letting out a questioning hum.

"...Thanks." Zexion murmured, a flush covering his cheeks. There was more, so much more he wanted to say about how grateful he was t have their friendship and support and protection. However, he didn't have the words, so simple thanks was all he could offer.

Axel stared at him for a moment, then smirked and gave him three heavy pats on the back, almost making Zexion drop his books. "Don't mention it! It's what friends do." With an easy grin, he turned on his heel and walked off. As soon as he turned away, the smile dropped from his face, replaced by one of disgust.

Now, to find out more about what Xemnas wanted with his friend. There was only one person who could possibly know, said person being in his next class. Axel wasn't looking forward to talking to him, but hey, he always got stuck with the dirty work.

"Well Saix, let's see what you know." He only hoped that his old blue haired friend would be cooperative, though realistically he knew there was no way in hell that he would get out of this without the wedge between them getting even deeper than before. Then again, it was hard to imagine the chasm between them getting even wider. Axel would like to say he was over it, but not even close. Xemnas had taken away his then best friend and twisted him into someone unrecognizable.

Axel would be damned if he let that fucker do the same to Zexion.


	11. If I Could I Would Feel Nothing

Watching Axel go, Zexion felt loneliness creep on him. He was taken aback by how comfortable he had gotten with his friends around him, and being alone all of a sudden made him feel like a sore thumb. With a sigh, he turned to head into class, only to run into a broad chest.

“Oof!” He grunted, rubbing his nose. “My apologies, I wasn’t—!” The words froze in his throat as he looked up into a pair of haunting hazel eyes.

Xemnas smirked at the fear he saw on Zexion’s face, reaching a hand up to slowly brush through a few strands of his hair. He brought said strands up to his nose, inhaling the scent of his newest prize. Zexion shoved him, making him take a step back, but he just laughed it off. The boy was minuscule compared to him; seemingly no real threat physically. It was that sharp mind he would have to look out for if he planned on making the boy his.

“No harm was done; if anything, it’s a pleasure to run into you, Zexion.” Before the boy could respond, Xemnas let go of his hair and walked away.

Zexion stood there, frozen except for his trembling. He managed to shuffle stiffly into the classroom and sit, but anything else was out of the question. All of a sudden, he felt like he was suffocating in this classroom, even with the open windows letting in the last few rays of summer sun. He knew how unprofessional it would be to run out of class, especially without asking, but his brain felt like it was completely shrouded in static. The words in his textbook slipped through his mental grasp and he found himself just staring down at the book, not even pretending to comprehend what he was looking at.

He had told Axel he would be fine, but he didn’t expect to make a liar out of himself so quickly.

He needed air.

He slammed his book closed, ignoring the startled looks and gasps from his classmates. He couldn’t do this right now. Too many emotions weighing on his chest, too much static in his head.

He needed air.

He barely managed to grab his belongings before sprinting from the classroom, however, he only got one foot out of the door before the teacher grabbed his arm. The touch made Zexion want to melt his skin off just to get it to stop. It felt like an itch that got worse the longer the touch persisted.

“Zexion, what has gotten into you?!” Zexion didn’t even comprehend his own name. All he knew was that the teacher needed to let go. NOW.

_He needed air!_

He struggled, clenching his teeth. Let go, let go, _GET THE FUCK OFF!_

Zexion didn’t realize he had screamed that out loud until he felt the sting in his throat and the touch disappeared. The sudden absence made him stumble, and the scream brought other teachers and students into the hallways to see what was happening. Zexion looked up and saw Even staring at him in shock, and that was enough to send him running again. He didn’t want to face his disappointment. He recognized Axel and Demyx in the crowd, but he didn’t want to look at them either. He didn’t want to see them realize how much of a mistake they had made being his friend.

“Zexion, wait--!” He didn’t look to see who had called him. He just threw his arms out, shoving the person away and shoving through the crowd of students. Then he ran. One more second in here sounded like a life sentence.

Meanwhile, Roxas looked up at Axel in shock from his place on the ground. He had not expected to be shoved, of all things, but he knew the last thing he should do was get upset about it. Axel had been about to approach Isa about Xemnas when he heard the commotion, and now it would have to wait until later.

“Come on. We need to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.” Axel offered him a hand, pulling him up. Demyx was practically vibrating with nervous energy; he needed to make sure Zexion was okay. Seeing the usually composed teen a mess like that made his chest hurt like never before.

“Wait!” He ran back into class, grabbing his bag. There was something in there he thought may be able to help.

Surprisingly, no one tried to stop them from going after Zexion. Mainly because Vexen stopped them, presenting them with written passes from the rest of the fay, as well as tomorrow. Vexen may not be the headmaster, but he knew how to pull a few strings. He could simply say he sent the trio on a special research project or some shit. Right now, none of them questioned it.

“Make sure he’s okay,” Vexen whispered to them, worry etched in his features.

“We will,” Roxas said, determination settling in his eyes. Despite all the shit they talked about Vexen, calling him creepy and whatnot, he obviously cared very much for Zexion, and they could see he only wanted the best for his adoptive son.

The trio headed off, having a few ideas where he could be headed. They headed for the library since it was a common known fact that Zexion worshipped that place.

However, when they got there, Lexaeus told them Zexion hadn’t shown up here. After being very quickly briefed on the situation, he told them that when Zexion was overwhelmed like this and he didn’t come to the library, he usually went to the park, or somewhere open. The park, the same one they had all gone to before, was only a few blocks away from school, so it was entirely possible he had gone there, especially since they had already spent 30 minutes walking to the library and talking to Lexaeus. With a promise to keep him updated, they headed to the park at a run.

Demyx was uncharacteristically quiet, then again, they all were. It wasn’t like there was anything jovial about this situation. They were running after a friend who had just had a very public breakdown and then disappeared, and they didn’t want him to be alone any longer than necessary.

They got to the park in less than 10 minutes, and they split up to search for their friend. It was Roxas who found him, laying in the grass underneath a slide, curled into a little ball. He was shaking with the force of his sobs, and Roxas’ heart ached for his friend. He didn’t want to call out and scare Zexion, so he sent a text before sitting next to Zexion quietly.

“Zexion? It’s me, Roxas.” He murmured. The only acknowledgment he received was a small pause in the hiccupped sobs, but it was something. That let Roxas know that Zexion was attached to reality, at least a little bit. He wasn’t too lost in his own head.

“Can I touch you?”

A pause, then a tiny nod.

Roxas slowly put his hand on Zexion’s back, rubbing soothing circles there as he waited for the other two. They arrived together, out of breath and with the same heartbreak on their faces when they saw Zexion that Roxas felt.

They sat by Zexion, the three of them forming a sort of circle of protection around him, even if there was no outside threat. The only threat was the war in Zexion’s mind right now.

After asking permission, Axel’s hand settled on Zexion’s arm and Demyx’s hand became entangled in Zexion’s hair. The boy still hadn’t looked up, but his sobs were slowing, so they counted it as a success and stayed quiet for him.

The sobs stopped after a while, but Zexion hadn’t said a word. They knew he wasn’t asleep because they could hear his small hiccups, but they wanted to know how he was feeling so they could help. Axel snapped his fingers, coming up with an idea.

“Zexion? Can you do something for me, buddy?” He asked softly, relieved when Zexion nodded. Okay, so he wasn’t lost in his head.

“I’m going to give you my phone, and I want you to pick a song that can help us understand how you’re feeling, okay? We want to help but we don’t want to force you to talk.”

Zexion slowly looked up, tear streaks just beginning to dry on his cheeks. He nodded, extending a shaky hand. Flipping through the music, he had a lot of options. From _If I Could I Would Feel Nothing_ by blackbear _,_ to _R.I.P. To My Youth_ by The Neighborhood _,_ to _Sick Boy_ by The Chainsmokers _._ In the end, Zexion picked _Migraine_ by Twenty One Pilots. It was the best way to explain the static in his head without using words. Words were still a mystery to him.

They were quiet while listening to the song, picking it apart to try and understand their friend’s state a little better. They didn’t get it completely, but it was something, and it was honestly a miracle that Zexion even agreed to do it.

Zexion, while a lot calmer than before, was still trembling. Every once and a while a stray tear would escape, running into his hair. Roxas and Axel were at a loss, but Demyx knew what to do. It was specifically why he had stopped to grab his bag before they came looking for his friend. Reaching into the front pocket, he pulled out Aristotle and Dante, as he’d taken to calling it. Maybe hearing one of Zexion’s favorite books would help him. Running his fingers fondly over all of the sticky notes Zexion put in the book, he opened to the chapter they left off on and began to read.

They had left off at the second paragraph of the tenth chapter, and Demyx began to read in a soft, low voice. “I didn’t think it was my job to accept what everyone said I was and who I should be…” As he talked, Zexion seemed to calm down, slowly sitting up and wiping his face with some tissues Roxas offered him.

His white school polo was rumpled and stained from lying in the grass, and he was shivering in the chill autumn air. Without pause, Axel gave him his jacket, waving off halfhearted protests. It smelled like firewood and smoke, and it was warm, and Zexion found himself bundled up in it while leaning against Demyx’s side. Roxas blanketed his other side, and Axel sat on the other side of Roxas. Zexion couldn’t recall ever feeling this safe with people outside of his guardians.

As they sat and listened to Demyx’s voice, Zexion’s mind finally cleared, and he felt like he could breathe again. Glancing around at his friends, he was reminded of a quote from another one of his favorite books, The Raven Boys.

‘In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her Raven Boys.’

When he had first read that quote, he hadn’t understood it at all. How could one person be in love with three people at once? It seemed less like a plausible possibility and more like an author getting too deep in purple prose. But now, surrounded by friends at his weakest, it became crystal clear. He was a little bit in love with each of them, and he had a hopeful inkling that they were all a little bit in love with him too.

When the chapter was done, Axel yawned and stretched. “Okay, now I definitely need to read that book. Not knowing what happened before is killing me inside.” They all laughed at his antics, getting to their feet.

“Zexion,  Mr. Even gave us passes for the rest of today and tomorrow. He’s very worried about you.” Roxas murmured.

Zexion looked to the ground. “He must be so upset with me, causing a scene like that…”

“Not at all. He just wants the best for you, which is why we got the passes. Come on, let’s head back to your place. I think it’s a safe bet that none of us are leaving you alone tonight.” Demyx said, and together they trekked back to the school parking lot to Axel’s car.

“Do you have guest rooms, Zexion?” Roxas asked, even though he knew that no matter what the answer was, none of them were leaving.

“Yes, but…you can all stay in my room. It’s big enough.” Zexion murmured in a hoarse voice, drained from his emotional overload.

“Cool. I think I speak for all of us when I say we would rather be close to make sure you're okay.” Axel replied.

Demyx and Roxas let out agreeing affirmations, and Zexion smiled. Who knew having friends could be such a rewarding experience?

“It was Xemnas.” The words slipped from him without permission; when had he told his mouth to open?

“Excuse me?” Roxas asked, turning in the passenger seat to look at him. Although neither Axel or Demyx said anything, Zexion could feel the tension coming off of them as they waited for him to elaborate.

“I…I ran into Xemnas after Axel walked me to my next class. He was standing right in front of the classroom door, and he touched me. He ran his fingers through a few strands of my hair and b-brought them up to s-sniff.” Demyx grabbed his hand, trying to ground him before he got too upset, which Zexion was grateful for.

“…We can’t even go to the administration since the headmaster is on his side!” Axel growled, slamming his fist against the side of the wheel in frustration.

None of them knew what to do. No matter how they tried, they couldn’t be with Zexion every moment of every day in school. It just wasn’t possible. But the alternative was giving Xemnas more and more chances to try and dig his creepy claws into the boy.

“Let’s not think about him anymore. He’s spent enough time in our thoughts.” Zexion finally decided.

“Amen to that.” Demyx murmured.

When they pulled up to the house, Even’s car was in the driveway. This caught Zexion by surprise; for even to take off work was a miracle, and for him to leave in the middle of the day was unheard of. He had never done so before.

“Come on, I bet Mr. Even will be glad to see you’re okay.” Demyx murmured, and they all got out of the car and headed inside.

Even was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee. He looked ready to faint from relief when he saw his son safe and sound.

“I need to have a moment with Zexion, alone. Feel free to head upstairs to his room and make yourselves comfortable.” He said stiffly.

Though reluctant, the trio headed upstairs, leaving Zexion by himself. Before the boy could even begin to apologize for his disruption, Even swept him into a tight hug.

“I was so worried about you.” He whispered.

Zexion’s eyes widened before he quickly hugged him back. Even initiating a hug was rare, and Zexion didn’t realize until now how worried he was that his guardian was angry at him. All of that tension drained from him now that he could see that there was no anger, just concern.

“You will not be returning to school tomorrow, and neither will your friends. I want you to stay home and rest. I will see what I can do about Xemnas.” Zexion wasn’t surprised Even knew; the man had a very observant eye.

“Thank you.” He murmured, earning a pat on the shoulder.

“No trouble. Now, I believe your friends are waiting for you.” Zexion smiled a bit, nodding and heading upstairs. He opened the door to his room to see that his two beds had been pushed together to make one big one, and his friends were currently laying on it.

Zexion had two beds in his room since the plan had been to adopt a child other than himself. It never happened, and the bed had never left, and now Zexion apparently had a use for it.

“Comfortable?” He chuckled, taking his shoes off and flopping on the bed in between Demyx and Axel.

“Definitely. Now we can invade each other’s personal space without a problem.” Axel snarked, making Zexion snort.

“So, what’s the plan?” Roxas asked, laying on his side to face all of them.

“Obviously, a movie marathon. Everyone knows when you’ve had a shitty day, movies are the best thing for you.” Axel teased, though he did look to Zexion for confirmation. Getting a nod of approval, he whooped and dug his laptop out of his bag.

“I’m assuming none of the films on his laptop were acquired legally?” Zexion whispered to Demyx, making him laugh. Axel retaliated by ruffling his hair, smirking at the indignant squawk the action received.

“You should be focused on resting, not sassing me. Besides, I’m your elder, so you should respect me.” Zexion scoffed.

“Do something worth respecting and I will.” Roxas burst out laughing at the look on Axel’s face, nearly rolling off the bed.

“Why do all my friends mistreat me so?!” Axel cried dramatically, throwing an arm over his eyes as he swooned from emotion.

“Shut up and play the movie, already.” Demyx groaned, and finally, they all settled down together and decided quickly on a movie. However, they were all more drained than they had originally thought. Zexion was the first one asleep, which was to be expected. Then Roxas followed in the middle of the second movie. Axel was out after the third movie, so Demyx took it among himself to turn off Axel’s laptop and put it away. He settled down to sleep, facing Zexion so he could see the boy’s peaceful face.

“I don’t know why Xemnas wants you.” He whispered, brushing Zexion’s hair out of his sleeping face. “But he can’t have you. You’re not his trophy, you’re not his prize.”

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he finished, “You deserve so much better than anything he could ever give you.”

He drifted off, arm draping over Zexion’s waist protectively. Nothing would be getting the boy on his watch.


End file.
